Madagascar hold Senegal in AFCON qualifying thriller

Minnows Madagascar secured one of the results of the weekend by twice battling back to hold Senegal to a 2-2 draw in Antananarivo during Sunday's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

The match was overshadowed by a crush outside the Mahamasina Stadium before kick-off, which has resulted in one death and 37 injured, according to RFI.

Madagascar, ranked 107th in the world, fell behind when Moussa Konate put the Teranga Lions into the lead with a fine individual goal just before the half-hour mark.

However, Aliou Cisse's side failed to add to their lead and Paulin Voavy responded just before the break to the delight of the massed home supporters.

Senegal again reasserted their dominance just after the hour mark when Keita Balde restored their lead, but Carolus Andriamahitsinoro struck six minutes later to ensure the points were shared.

The West Africans became the latest side to struggle to put away one of the continent's would-be lesser lights during an intriguing international window, with Algeria, Ghana and Cameroon all failing to pick up maximum points.

Despite the draw, Senegal remain atop Group A and on course for a berth at next summer's continental showpiece.

They're tied in top spot on four points with Madagascar, ahead of Equatorial Guinea, who defeated Sudan 1-0 on Saturday to boost their hopes of securing a spot in nearby Cameroon next summer.

Senegal were arguably Africa's most impressive contestants at the World Cup in Russia earlier this year, but were eliminated on four points as their disciplinary record was inferior to that of Japan.